Petunia plant named ‘Petgrabl’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Petgrabl’ characterized by its trailing, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit, freely branching habit, freely flowering habit, single flowers that are blue in color, and good garden performance.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Petuniahybrida.

Varietal denomination: ‘Petgrabl’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petuniaplant botanically known as Petunia hybrida and referred to by thecultivar name ‘Petgrabl’.

The new Petunia is the product of a planned breeding program conductedby the inventor in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The new Petunia cultivar isfreely flowering with trailing and spreading plant habit and attractiveleaf and flower coloration.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the inventorin August 1999 of a proprietary selection of Petunia hybrida identifiedas code number ‘Y1006’, not patented, as the female, or seed parent,with a proprietary selection of Petunia hybrida identified as codenumber ‘H1403’, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The newPetunia was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny of thecross-pollination in a controlled environment in Enkhuizen, Netherlandsin June 2000.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal vegetative cuttingssince June 2000, in Enkhuizen, Netherlands has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar ‘Petgrabl’ have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, light intensity anddaylength without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Petgrabl.’ These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Petgrabl’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Trailing, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit    -   2. Freely branching habit    -   3. Freely flowering habit    -   4. Single flowers that are blue in color    -   5. Good garden performance    -   In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Enkhuizen, Netherlands,        plants of the new Petunia differed from the plants of the female        parent selection in the following characteristic:    -   1. Plants of the new Petunia had a more blue flower color than        plants of the female parent selection that has a more plum        color.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, plantsof the new Petunia differed from the plants of the male parent selectionin the following characteristic:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia had smaller flowers than plants of        the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia ‘Petgrabl’ differ from the Petunia cultivarPetitunia Blue Dream (‘Danpetbl’), not patented, in flower color andshape. The flowers of the new Petunia are more purple/blue and thepetals are more pointed than the petals of Petunia cultivar PetituniaBlue Dream. Also, the habit of the plants of the new Petunia differ fromthe Petunia cutivar Petitunia Blue Dream. The plants of the new Petuniaare more flat whereas the plants of the Petunia cultvar Petitunia BlueDream are more mounded.

The new cultivar Petunia ‘Petgrabl’ differs from the Petunia cultivarSurfinia Blue (‘Sunblu’), not patented, in flower size. The flowers ofthe new Petunia are smaller than the flowers of the Petunia cultivarSurfinia Blue.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical decription which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The observations and measurements describe plants grown in Enkhuizen,The Netherlands., practice circumstances outdoor in windowboxes duringthe summer with day temperatures ranging from 18 to 25° C. and nighttemperatures ranging from 10 to 14° C. Plants used for the photographsand description were about 12 weeks from planting rooted cuttings.

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   The plant:    -   -   Classification.—Botanical: Petunia hybrida.        -   Parentage.—Female parent: Proprietary selection of Petunia            hybrida identified as Code number ‘Y1006,’ not patented.            Male parent: Proprietary selection of Petunia hybrida            identified as code number ‘H1403,’ not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer and winter: About 12 days at            20° C.        -   Time to develop roots, summer R.—About 21 days at 20° C.        -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About 28 days at 16° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Annual flowering plant, indeterminate, initially            upright then trailing and outwardly spreading, uniformly            mounded plant form. Freely branching habit, about five basal            branches each with about eight to ten lateral branches.            Pinching enhances development of lateral branches.        -   Usage.—Appropriate for hanging baskets, window boxes, patio            containers, and landscape applications.        -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 60 cm.        -   Vigor.—Vigorous; rapid growth rate.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 30-40 cm. Diameter: About            3 mm. Internode length: About 2-2.5 cm. Texture: Pubescent.            Color: 144B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate before            flowering; opposite after flowers develop, simple. Length:            About 3-3.5 cm. Width: About 1.5-2 cm. Shape: Elliptic.            Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent,            glandular. Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            146A. Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface:            146B. Venation, upper surface: 144B. Venation, lower            surface: 144C. Petiole length: About 1 cm. Petiole diameter:            About 2.5 cm. Petiole color, upper and lower surfaces: 146A.            Petiole texture: Sparsely pubescent.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers, flowers            face mostly upward and outward, axillary. Freely flowering            habit, about two to three open flowers and about three            flower buds per lateral branch at a time.        -   Natural flowering season.—Long day responsive, long            flowering period, spring until frost in the autumn,            flowering continuous during this period. Plants start            flowering about eight weeks after planting rooted cuttings.            Flowers persistent.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About seven to ten days.        -   Fragrance.—Faint, sweet.        -   Flower size.—Diameter: About 4.5-4.7 cm. Tube length: About            3 cm. Throat diameter, distal end: About 1.2 mm. Tube            diameter, proximal end: About 3 mm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Shape: Elongated oblong with ruffled apices. Color: More            grey than 83A.        -   Petals.—Quantity/arrangement: About five petals fused in a            single whorl, funnelform. Length from throat: About            2.3-2.7 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm. Shape: Roughly fan-shaped.            Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire, undulate. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Smooth, velvety.        -   Color.—When opening, upper surface: Darker and deeper than            N81A. When opening, lower surface: N81A, venation, starts            with 146C ends at edge of petal 176A. Fully opened, upper            surface: Darker than N81A. Fully opened, lower surface:            N81A, venation, starts with 146C and ends at edge of petal            146A. Flower throat (inside): N92A. Flower tube (outside):            N81A, no venation throat. Venation, tube: 146D.        -   Sepals.—Arrangement/appearance: Single whorl of five sepals            fused at base, star-shaped. Length: About 1.5 cm. Width:            About 2 mm. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            surface: 146B. Color, lower surface: 146B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Angle:            About 45 to 60° from the stem. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Pubescent. Color: 144A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens, quantity per flower: About            five. Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther size: About 1 mm by            1.5 mm. Anther color: 97C. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen            color: 97C. Pistils, quantity per flower: One. Pistil            length: About 2 cm. Style length: About 1.7 cm. Style color:            144D. Stigma shape: Anvil-shaped. Stigma color: N92A. Ovary            color: 145A. Seed/fruit: Seed and/or fruit production has            not been observed.-   Disease and pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Petunia.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance. Plants of the new Petunia have been    noted to tolerate rain, wind and temperatures from 0 to 30° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia plant named ‘Petgrabl’, assubstantially illustrated and described herein.